Volume 1 Issue 1 December 5, 2014 Meet Our Numerous New Teachers This school year we have many new faces on our teaching staff at Marrama Elementary. 5th grade students conducted interviews to get to know these teachers to share what they found out with our Marrama Community. Please read on to get to know these teachers on a more personal level. And make sure to enjoy their cute baby pictures! Traveler Ms. Dahle We, Aalyiah and Kylynn, found out about a traveler named Ms. Dahle. We will tell you many things about a second grade teacher that you might not discover on your own. If you want to find out, keep reading! What grade subject do you teach? I teach 2nd grade and all of the subjects. Where were you born/grew up? I was born in West Chicago, Illinois, I lived there, and then I moved to Madison, Wisconsin and Terre Haute, Indiana. Do you miss your birthplace? Not really I was really young and I don’t remember much. Who is your immediate family? I have my parents, a brother, a sister, and a nephew. Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I went to Indiana State University for my Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies, Metropolitan State for my teacher’s license, and I am attending the University of Colorado Boulder for my Master’s degree. What is your teaching history? Where else have you taught? This is my fourth year teaching. I have also taught third grade at a charter school and preschool in Jefferson County. Do you have pets? I have three cats, a snake, and several fish. What is your favorite food restaurant and why? My favorite depends on my mood! I like eating at sushi restaurants because I really like seafood and I can get a variety. What is your favorite book or author and why? I enjoy Kurt Vonnegut. He is smart and funny, and his books make me think. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? The place I enjoyed the most was Spain, specifically Madrid. It’s a beautiful city and very fun! What is your favorite hobby or pastime? I love dancing. What is your favorite childhood memory? I can’t say I have a “favorite”, but I love remembering camping with my family. What advice would you give to Marrama students? Try your hardest! The best things in life are not always the easiest. Why do you choose that advice? It is not just in school. It’s throughout life. What are two things on your “bucket list”? Hiking the Inca Trail and traveling and seeing more of the world. Do you speak another language? I speak a little bit of Spanish. Was college fun? Yes, it was very fun leaving home and being on my own. Why did you pick teaching as your career? Education is important to me in my life. In conclusion Mrs. Dahle is a wonderful second grade teacher. She has traveled, explored and is a delightful woman in her own special ways. Hopefully you were interested in learning about a second grade teacher who everybody loves. By: Aalyiah Castanon-Pacheco and Kylynn White Delightful Mrs. Daly Have you heard that Mrs. Daly was born in Dubuque, Iowa? You probably didn't know that. I also found out that Mrs. Daly went to college in Omaha, Nebraska. Keep reading to find out more about a new fifth grade teacher. What grade/subjects do you teach? I teach fifth grade and all the subjects. Where were you born/grew up? I was born in Dubuque, Iowa which is located right on the Mississippi River. I lived there until I went to college in Omaha. Do you miss your birthplace? Yes, I do miss Dubuque, Iowa. Who is your immediate family? I have three older brothers. One lives in Denver, one lives in Dubuque and one lives in Washington D.C. I only see them once a year now. Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I went to Creighton University in Omaha, NE where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I am currently getting my Master’s degree at Morningside College online. What is your teaching history? Where else and how long have you taught? This is my second year teaching. Last year I taught at LeMay Elementary which is in Bellevue, NE where I taught 4th grade. Do you have pets? I am getting a betta fish this week! What color is your betta fish? Its colors are red and blue. What is your favorite food or restaurant and why? My favorite food is turkey and dressing sandwiches. They are a favorite meal in Dubuque and I love to eat them during the fall! What is your favorite book or author and why? One of my favorite books is Esio Trot by Roald Dahl because my third grade teacher read it to the class and it has been one of my favorites ever since. I also love The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper ever since I was five. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? We went to the Dominican Republic in 2013 to celebrate my brother’s wedding and it was my favorite vacation. The beach was beautiful and it was wonderful spending time with my family. What is your favorite hobby or pastime? I enjoy reading when I have free time and baking. Cooking chocolate chip cookies is my favorite! What is your favorite childhood memory? My grandpa and grandma have a farm and I loved going out to the farm to hang out, do chores, make cookies with grandma, or hang out with my cousins. What advice would you give to Marrama students? Always try your best effort and read as much as you can when you're a kid! What are two things on your “ bucket list”? I would love to go to Ireland since the Daly's (my family) have a castle in in Ireland. Also, I would love to learn how to juggle! Do you speak another language? No, I don't speak any other language. How do you like Marrama so far? I love it so far. What’s your favorite childhood TV show? “Boy Meets World”. Mrs. Daly is very delightful. I’m pretty sure you never knew that much about Mrs. Daly. I still can't believe that the Daly's have a castle in Ireland! By: Jared Montano The Wrestling, Rugby Playing Mr. G We, Melanie and Moises, interviewed Mr. G. His bucket list is very interesting! Keep reading and you’ll see how wonderful he really is. What grade/subjects do you teach? I teach PE from Kindergarten-5th grade. Where were you born/grew up? I was born in Huntington, NY. Who is your immediate family? My immediate family is Rita, Victor, and Erin, my sister. Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I have a degree in Health Science BS at Oswego State University and PE MS at Hofstra University What is your teaching history? Where else and how long have you taught? My teaching history began when I subbed and coached on Long Island for 5 years. Then I was part time at Grant Ranch K-8 last year, and now I'm at Marrama this year. Do you have pets? I have 2 pets in the household. Monster, my cat, and Gozer, “The Gozerian”, my dog. What is your favorite food or restaurant and why? I can't say no to a great steak at Bastien’s restaurant on Colfax! What is your favorite book or author and why? I like Steven King and because he is a good writer. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? I like going to Costa Rica and Ireland. They are both beautiful in their own way. What is your favorite hobby or pastime? Playing sports, being with my friends and taking my dog to the dog park. What is your favorite sport to watch? To play? I like to watch football and my favorite sports to play are wrestling and rugby. What is your favorite childhood memory? When I was visiting my family in Utah! We went camping and hiked up to Timpanogos Cave. We took a tour and it was an amazing site. What advice would you give to Marrama students? Take responsibility for your own actions, don’t point fingers, don’t give up on yourself, and always work to make yourself better. What are two things on your “bucket list”? Cave jumping and hiking the Himalayas. Why do you want to do these items on your bucket list? I want to do these because I like extreme sports and the Himalayas because they are supposed to be the most beautiful mountain range in the world. Do you speak another language? A little bit of Spanish. What’s your favorite childhood TV show? I liked "Ren and Stimpy" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". How do you like Marrama so far? I like Marrama a lot so far. I like the kids a lot! Mr. G is a wonderful guy. His interview was very interesting. I hope you learned how fun and energetic his life is! By: Moises Inda-Ochoa and Melanie Leyva Sporty Mr. Howard Hello, I’m Noah Johnson and I interviewed Mr. Howard. I found out what’s on his bucket list. I also learned where he was born and where he grew up. If you want to find out the answers, then keep reading. What grade/subject do you? I teach 4th grade math and science. Where were you born/grew up? I was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Who is your immediate family? My family is Amy George, Michael George, Kristen, and Marissa. Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I attended Indiana University and earned a BAS degree in education. What is your teaching history? Where else and how long have you taught? I student taught and was an aide in Indiana. I then was a professional last year at Trevista Elementary in Denver. Do you have pets? I have a Border Collie/Husky mix that is two years old and named Jericho. What do you like about your pet? I like that he is always happy. What is your favorite food or restaurant and why? My favorite food is pizza because it is so delicious and cheap. What is your favorite book or author and why? My favorite author is Louis Archer and I enjoy all of his books. What is your vacation spot and why? My favorite vacation spot is at a resort in the mountains when there is a lot of snow on the ground so that I can do one of my favorite hobbies, snowboarding! What is your favorite hobby or pastime? I love playing ultimate Frisbee. What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memory is when my two sisters were born. What advice would you give to Marrama students? Put your name on papers! Teachers will be forever grateful. What is on your bucket list? To travel to another country and go sky diving. What is your favorite animal? My favorite animal for a pet is a dog but my favorite wild animal is a tiger. What is your favorite dessert? My favorite is apple pie. Why did you pick teaching as your career? I picked teaching because I enjoy coaching youth sports which lead me to teaching. Well, that is all. I told you a lot of things you probably didn’t know about Mr. Howard. Peace! By: Noah Johnson Ms. Kohlhagen The Adventurous Rock Climber Hi! My name is Ravyn Meadows. I interviewed Ms. Kohlhagen and I found it very interesting how active she is. You should read this article to find out all the great things about Ms. Kohlhagen. What grade / subjects do you? I teach 3rd grade and all subjects. Where were you born /grew up? I grew up in St. Louis, MO. Do you miss your birthplace? I miss it a little but I mostly miss my family. Who is your immediate family? My immediate family is my mom, my dad and my little sister. Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I attended college at Truman State University. I have earned my Bachelors of Art in English and Master of Arts in Education (Elementary). Was college fun? Yes, but it was also very hard. What is your teaching history? Where else have you taught? I have previously been an assistant teacher at Alexander Dawson School in Lafayette, CO. This is my first year as a classroom teacher. Do you have pets? No, but I wish I had a dog. What is your favorite food or restaurant and why? Mac n’ Cheese is my favorite food! It’s the most delicious. What is your favorite book or author? That’s a difficult question. I love so many books and authors! E.B. White is who I grew up reading, though, I like Roald Dahl! What is your favorite vacation spot and why? Colorado! That’s why I moved here. It’s my favorite because of the mountains and all of the hobbies you can pick up here. What is your favorite hobby or pastime? My favorite hobbies are skiing, running, rock climbing, reading, and sleeping. What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memory was riding a horse all by myself for the first time through the cold, snowy mountains in Colorado. What advice do you give to Marrama students? I advise them to be nice to their teachers! What are two things on your “bucket list”? One thing that is on bucket list is to spend a whole month traveling to another country. Another thing on my bucket list is to raise a puppy. Why do you want these things on your bucket list? I want these things on my bucket list because it would be a good experience to raise a puppy. I would also like to see different places from where I live. What’s your favorite color? My favorite color is purple. Can you explain your culture/heritage? I am not Catholic but I grew up in a big Catholic family. Now you know some of the interesting facts about Ms. Kohlhagen. I think that Ms. Kohlhagen is a very adventurous person. By: Ravyn Meadows Adventurous Ms. Kutzer I, Estephanie, found out about an adventurous teacher who was born in Oregon. Does Ms. Kutzer speak a different language? No, she doesn’t, but she does want to see the Great Wall of China and go on an African Safari! Read on to find out more. What grade/subjects do you teach? I teach 2nd grade, all subjects, and I love every minute of it! Where were you born/grew up? I was born in Oregon. I grew up in a small town just outside of Portland. I lived on a big farm and had every animal you could imagine! Who is your immediate family? I have my mom and dad, and my sisters Shaina, Vanessa, and Andrea. My sisters are my best friends! Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I attended University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. I received my BA in history in addition to my elementary teaching license. What is your teaching history? Where else and how long have you taught? I lived overseas for two years (Japan and Europe) and I taught pre-school. This is my first year as an elementary teacher. Do you have pets? I have the cutest Chihuahua named Missy! What is your favorite food or restaurant and why? My favorite restaurant is Hacienda Colorado because I LOVE Mexican food. I could eat it every day, for every meal! What is your favorite book or author and why? I don’t have a favorite author but I love mystery books! What is your favorite vacation spot and why? My favorite vacation spot is Venice, Italy. I lived in Italy for a year, and have so many memories! I love the people, food and culture of Italy. What is your favorite hobby or pastime? My favorite hobbies in the summer are hiking and running. In the winter I like to snowboard. What is your favorite childhood memory? I grew up on a big farm with my three sisters, and, my favorite childhood memory is my sisters and I riding horses, playing with pigs, and building tree houses! What advice would you give to Marrama students? Try your best, don’t sweat the small stuff, and treat others how you want to be treated! What are two things on your “bucket list”? I want to see the Great Wall of China, and I want to go on an African safari. Why do you want to do these things on your bucket list? I am a history major so I got my degree in history. I’ve always been interested in other cultures and those two places just struck me. Do you speak another language? No, I don’t speak a different language which is kind of boring but I will try to learn another different language! What’s your favorite color? My favorite color is pink! What’s your favorite childhood TV show? My favorite TV show was “Recess”! What’s your favorite dessert? I LOVE apple pie it’s so yummy! I could eat it every day for dessert! As you can see, Ms. Kutzer has many other things you didn’t know! Ms. Kutzer loves Mexican food and apple pie. She’s very smart and energetic as well as adventurous! Don’t you want to go to an African safari? Or even to the Great Wall of China? I know I do! By: Estephanie Rosas Outdoorsy Mr. LaCross This is an interview about Mr. LaCross, which I, Aramis Linea, conducted. I’ve been able to learn his favorite childhood TV show! So, please read ahead to learn more about bear-hunting Mr. LaCross! What grade/subjects do you teach? I teach 5th Grade, General Education. Where were you born/grew up? I grew up and was born in Manchester, MI. Who is your immediate family? My immediate family is my mom, Kerry, my dad, Craig, my brother, Zach, and my dog, Walter. Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I earned my degree in Bachelor of Science from Eastern Michigan University What is your teaching history? Where else and how long have you taught? I’ve for taught 3 years, 1 ½ years in Michigan and 1 year in Arizona. Do you have pets? Not in Colorado. What is your favorite food or restaurant and why? I love Mexican food because it’s spicy! What is your favorite book or author and why? There are so many! Today I’ll say Number the Stars. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? I love the woods or beach. They are both relaxing What is your favorite hobby or pastime? I love playing sports, watching sports, reading, hiking, and canoeing. What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memory is beating my older brother in 1 on 1 basketball. What advice would you give to Marrama students? Be kind, work hard, it matters! What are two things on your “bucket list”? Two things on my bucket list are hiking to the top of Machu Picchu and go bear hunting! Do you miss your birthplace? I miss it during the fall time. Why did you choose that as advice? I think that we forget to be kind to each other and it’s a simple way to make other people's day better. Was college fun? College was fun and I met lots of great people. What’s your favorite childhood TV show? It is “Boy Meets World”. How do you like Marrama so far? I think it’s great! I have an awesome class. Now you learned all about Mr. LaCross. Maybe if you see him you could ask him questions. Isn’t Mr. LaCross cool? By: Aramis Linea-Valdes Sporty Ms. Lueck I, Valerie, have found out three very amazing things on Ms. Lueck’s bucket list! I also found out things like her favorite dessert, the degree she earned, and her favorite type of shoes. If you want to find out about Ms. Lueck then you should keep reading. What grade/subjects do you teach? I teach Technology for all grades. Where were you born and where did you grow up? I was born and grew up in both Wisconsin and California. Who is your immediate family? My immediate family is my mom, dad, and younger sister. They all live in Texas. Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I have earned my FCC, AA, CSU, BA, UOP and MSEd degree. What degree are you most proud of? I’m most proud of my Master’s Degree. What is your teaching history? Where else and how long have you taught? I have taught 7 years of PE, Library, and Technology. The last five years were teaching Technology. Do you have any pets? I have one cat named Thomas. What is your favorite food or restaurant and why? I like La Fondue because I like cheese. What is your favorite book or author and why? I like Dean Koontz. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? I love Key Largo because my family is there. What is your favorite hobby or pastime? I love sports of all kind. What is your favorite childhood memory? I grew up on a farm. What advice do you give Marrama students? I personally would like to say form good habits NOW while it's still easy. What are two things on your bucket list? Two things on my bucket list are to scuba dive and skydive in Australia What is your favorite type of shoes? My favorite shoes are Tevas. What is your favorite dessert? My favorite dessert is ice cream. Why did you pick teaching as your career? I picked teaching as my career because I like to share more information and see kids grow. This is what I have found out about Ms. Lueck. One thing that I really enjoyed hearing about Ms. Lueck is the advice she gave to all of her students. By: Valerie Robles The World of Ms. Radosta Come and explore the world of Ms.Radosta. We found out some very interesting things about her. If you want to know keep reading! What grade do you teach? I teach 1st grade. Where were you born and where did you grow up? I was born and grew up in Aurora, Illinois. Do you miss your birthplace? Yes! But I love Colorado more. Who is your immediate family? My immediate family consists of my mom, my dad, my younger sister, Sarah, and older sister, Kristin. Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I attended Illinois State University where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. What degree are you most proud of ? Education Degree! What is your teaching history? Where else and how long have you taught? I have taught 2 years. I taught Pre-Kindergarten for a little over a year, after that I was a paraprofessional at another school in DPS. Do you have pets? I have a 10-month old Australian shepherd mix puppy! What is your favorite food or restaurant and why? My favorite food is strawberries because they are sweet and refreshing. What is your favorite book or author and why? My favorite author is Dr.Seuss. I love how Dr. Seuss’ books are so fun to read with all the funny rhyming words and made up words. I love the messages his books deliver to adults and children. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? My favorite vacation spot is right here in Colorado! I love vacationing in Breckenridge, Colorado where I can hike in the summer and snowboard in the winter! What is your favorite hobby or pastime? I enjoy indoor it is so much fun and great exercise! What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memory is playing school with my sisters. My mom was a teacher and always had teaching supplies around the house so my sisters and I would take turns playing teacher and students. We had a blast! What advice do you give Marrama students? You can accomplish anything you put your mind to. You just need to work hard but have fun along the way. What are two things on your “bucket list”? I would like to go on a mission trip and go scuba diving someday. What is your favorite childhood TV show? “Bobby’s World”. How do you like Marrama so far? I love it!!! Can you explain your culture? My dad is Italian, my mom is Swedish, Irish, and English. That is what we found out about the wonderful Ms.Radosta. The thing we thought was most interesting was that she wanted to go on a mission trip and go scuba diving! By: Jaylon Simmons & Jacob Thomas Ms. Rodriguez the Active Explorer Hi! My name is Ashley Olivares and I am a fifth grade student. I interviewed a very active teacher named Ms. Rodriguez. If you want to find out more about this adventurous teacher, keep reading. Which grade do you teach? I teach 1st grade. Where were you born/grew up? I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Who is your immediate family? My immediate family is my mom, my dad, and my younger sister. Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I attended college at Eastern Michigan University. I earned my Elementary Education and Early Childhood Special Education Degrees. Which degrees are you most proud of? I am proud of all of them. Which is your teaching history? Where else and how long have you taught? I student taught in a first grade classroom in Ann Arbor, Michigan at Angell Elementary School. Last year, I taught in Laveen, Arizona and taught first grade at Cheatham Elementary School. Do you have any pets? I have two classroom pets- two fire belly toads named Lewis and Clark. What is your favorite food or restaurant and why? Fajitas! I love them because they are filled with flavor and are delicious. What is your favorite book or author and why? I love the book Make Way for Ducklings because I love Boston, Massachusetts and have been to the sculpture in Boston’s Public Garden. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? I like to vacation anyplace with a lot of water, sun, and fun things to do like hiking, kayaking, swimming, shopping etc. What is your favorite hobby or pastime? Recently I have loved exploring Colorado and hiking! Soon I will be skiing! What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memory is wearing my dad’s giant cement pouring boots (those yellow ones) and standing in the middle of a job site while cement was pouring out of the truck. What advice would you give to Marrama students? I would advise them to stay focused and come to school ready each day. Give 100%! What are two things on your “bucket list”? The two things on my “bucket list” are that I want a Great Dane and to visit family that I have in Italy. Why do you want to do these items on your bucket list? I want a Great Dane because I really want a dog and I want to visit family in Italy because I’ve never met them. What’s your favorite childhood TV show? My favorite childhood TV show is “Boy Meets World”. What is your favorite dessert? My favorite dessert is anything with chocolate. Can you explain your culture/heritage? My heritage is that my mom is half Italian and my dad is half Hispanic. I am glad that I got to interview such an amazing and adventurous teacher. I hope that Ms. Rodriguez stays at this school for many years. By: Ashley Olivares-Guevara Kenyan-Born Mr. Tajeu We, Lau and Jordan, interviewed a music lover, Mr. Tajeu. We learned a lot about Mr. Tajeu, we learned where he’s from and what he likes to do when not working. If you want to learn more about him, read on! What grades/subjects do you teach? I teach music to all grades, as well as band, choir, and strings. Where were you born/grew up? I was born in Kenya, but grew up in Ithaca, NY and Chicago, IL. Who is in your immediate family? My Mom, Dad, brother, and I are in my immediate family. Where did you attend college and which degrees have you earned? I attended DePaul University, UAB, and University of Alabama. What is your teaching history? Where else and how long have you taught? This is my first teaching job. Do you have pets? No, I do not have any pets. What is your favorite food or restaurant and why? My favorite food is Indian food because of the many complex flavors and spices. What is your favorite book or author and why? The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho because it sheds light on universal ideas, and speaks to human life in general. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? It used to be Colorado but now that I live here I’m not sure. What was your favorite hobby or pastime? My favorite hobby and pastime is cooking. What is your favorite sport to watch or play? College football is my favorite sport to watch and play. What advice would you give to Marrama students? Enjoy your time here. Learn all that you can. Don't rush to grow up. It’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. What are two things on your bucket list? One item on my bucket list is to go to Kenya and see my family. Another item on my bucket list is that I want to go see the Grand Canyon. Why do you want these items on your bucket list? I chose those items because they’re two beautiful places. Was college fun? Yes, college was fun. What’s your favorite childhood TV show? My favorite childhood TV show was “The Cosby Show”. Why did you pick teaching as your career? I chose teaching as my career because I love teaching music, and I also think music is fun. I also chose that as my career, because I want kids to love music, too. Now you know a little about Mr. Tajeu. I think it is cool how he wants to go to the Grand Canyon and Kenya. Don't you wish you could go to those places? By: Lau Marial and Jordan Norwood Student Council Elections For the 2014-2015 school year, Marrama Elementary held their first annual Student Council Office Elections on November 7, 2014. In order for a student to run for one of the Student Council Offices, they first had to be elected as the Student Council Representative for their 3rd, 4th or 5th grade classroom. Of the 20 Student Council Representatives, 19 chose to run for one of the offices including President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasury, and Historian. To be eligible to run for President, students had to be a Representative for a 5th grade classroom. There were seven 5th graders that ran for President including Azzael Cerda, Alexia Conejo, Matthew Ervin, Serenity Gilmore, Everardo Luna, Briana Magana and Keziah Mpunga. In order to run for Vice President, students needed to be a 4th grade Representative. Mario Alvarado, Tony Garza, Atalia Lee and Pyrshawn Miller ran for Vice President. There were two 3rd graders, Naerah Dixon and Alivia Lipsey that ran for Secretary. The Treasurer and Historian positions could be filled by any Representative in any grade. Marcos Mercado, Sollia Peou and Desiret Rodriguez ran for Treasurer while Ivan Flores, Kaden Johnston and Anais Rodriguez-Rueda ran for Historian. Students created and hung up campaign posters to help convince students to vote for them. Additionally, students wrote their election speeches to explain why they would be the best student for the job. After the speeches took place on November 7th, all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students cast their vote for the students they believed would do the best job. According to the ballots, congratulations to the following students who won their office race! Timothy Ervin is the President, Pyrshawn Miller is the Vice President, Alivia Lipsey is the Secretary, Marcos Mercado is the Treasurer, and Anias Rodriguez is the Historian.